


Two Sides of the Same Coin

by Romantikjager



Category: South Park
Genre: Angst, Crossdressing, Internalized Homophobia, Its crazy ok, M/M, Maids, Mentions of Cancer, Romance, and hints of death??, and inspired by an oooold fic, honestly had this idea for a while, maybe lewd later but idk, pinning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29964207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romantikjager/pseuds/Romantikjager
Summary: After having his college dreams threatened by a lack of funds, Kyle has to get creative. Too bad Sir Fatass, AKA Cartman, comes in to ruin that for him too and make his life a living hell and a joke, on top of everything else! But, as Cartman already found out, Kyle will learn there's a whole other side to someone you thought you knew; and it'll surprise you for the worse... or for the better.
Relationships: Bebe Stevens/Wendy Testaburger, Kyle Broflovski/Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	1. Adieu, Ivy League!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to spoil anything but this is my first real attempt at a fanfic so I hope you all like it <3  
> I do accept all constructive criticism so please do tell me what you think :D

Kyle Broflovski’s family wasn’t Token rich-rich, but they were said to be well-off. Not the “ _we have a housemaid_ ” level, but the “ _we can afford to go to outback steakhouse twice a week and never worry about the electric bill_ ”’ well-off. So, when Gerald came home one day with his suit rumpled, his tie loose, and his eyes red, it was a major surprise to feel the pressure of financial instability for once. Kyle’s father was fired due to a company merger and wasn’t even given a two-week notice. Just dropped - cold turkey - with no sympathy. Sheila was a stay-at-home mother, so that left the entire household without an income. Unless you count those gay dividends that Gerald proclaims are his ‘very profitable passive income’. This meant a lot of changes for the Broflovskis, and especially for Kyle.

“Dude, my fucking dad was fired from his job yesterday. And now, my mom says I need to reconsider going out-of-state, even with the scholarships and AP credits!” Kyle ranted to Stan and the other boys at the bus stop while staring at the snowy ground, his face red from the cold. He didn’t want to cry, but it felt like his world just collapsed in on itself overnight. His dreams of moving out of this small piece of shit town dashed away, right down the drain, and hopelessness sat like a stone in his gut. “No Yale, Harvard, Columbia… fuck!” 

Stan could tell how badly Kyle was taking this and it hurt his heart to see his best friend in such distress. He reached out and rested his hand on his shoulder, offering some comfort, “Hey man, I’m sure he will find another job and it’ll be fine...Plus in-state can’t be that bad, right? We could go to the same school!” His voice pitched in excitement at the end as the idea fleshed out in his head. It had always been their ‘thing’ to do stuff together as Super Best Friends after all. 

“Us? At the same school…?” Kyle's face crumpled into shocked horror as he looked at Stan. Personally, Kyle always saw himself as the smart friend with Stan being the jock. I mean, c’mon, a 4.0 GPA vs. 2.8 GPA? Going to the same school would be a spit in the face of all his hard work and prestige. “I just...I don’t know. Um...Thanks, Stan.” Kyle gave him a forced smile as the schoolbus neared the stop and slowed down to a halt. He stepped past him and his smile instantly dropped. 

Stan couldn’t tell if the thanks was sincere or not, but he hoped for the best. Turning to Kenny and Cartman for reassurance on the situation, he found they hadn’t even been listening and were too busy talking. He sighed and stepped onto the bus after Kyle.

\------

School that day felt like it dragged on for a lifetime for Kyle. His brain tuned out everything besides the constant thought loop of ‘I’m never getting out of this town...I’m stuck here in this hellhole, all because of the lack of some stupid paper’. History went by, English, Math...finally, the lunch bell’s shrill scream broke Kyle from his daze for a few seconds.

Cartman’s tray slammed onto the lunch table with a huge ‘ _CRACK!_ ’ and caused Kyle to jump. “Broflovski, you look like a depressed zombie. I didn’t think Jews could look any fucking uglier but here you are, proving me wrong.” 

“Shut the fuck up Cartman. Leave me alone.” Kyle scowled at him and looked away, feeling his cheeks burn at being spooked by the fatass. Most days he was good, or erm...good-ish at resisting the urge to choke the fat fuck out, but today was not one of those days. Honestly, maybe he should just slug that fucking ugly fatass bitch bas-

“Kyle, are you good, man?” Kenny asked, resting his hand on Kyle’s arm with concern showing in his baby blue eyes. To everyone else, it sounded like muffled gibberish, but the boys could understand Kenny almost perfectly after years of hanging out with him. 

Kyle was snapped out of his Cartman murder fantasy by the question and stared at Kenny. “I’m just really...I’m just still fucked up about the dad-fired thing...I guess.” He finished awkwardly, not used to verbalizing his feelings.

“Yeah, I get that. It’s scary but maybe it’s for the best for you, you’re capable. Think of it as a nerdy math problem to solve or something. You don’t have to rely on your old man’s income to pay for everything, y’know.” Kenny smiled at him, the only visible indication being the crow’s feet by his eyes as he did it. 

‘Huh. I guess he is right...I could just get a job and pay for it myself...would look good on resumes too…’ Kyle pursed his lips and nodded, “Thanks, Ken. That does give me a few ideas.” 

Stan felt a little jealous at seeing Kenny tame Kyle’s emotional distress so easily and quipped up, “Yeah, getting a job seems like a go-”

“God, shut up about job this and money that, can’t we just enjoy lunch before having to deal with the life shit?” Cartman grumbled, stabbing his fork into his lunch. 

“Yeah, I’m sick of worrying about it too. Fuck it, what happens happens.” Kyle shrugged and unpacked his lunch, all his containers perfectly stacked and sandwich bags labeled. The guys gave him shit for being so OCD about everything, but he was proud of it. 

The rest of the day passed by fairly normally. Cartman called Mr. Garrison a ‘boomer’ and was sent to the office, but otherwise, it was peaceful. 

\------

Kyle walked home alone that day, rejecting Stan’s offer to drive him and just taking the bus instead. He wanted to be alone in his thoughts and think over his plan. He had browsed ads in a town nearby, Fairplay, during calculus (since he had already done this week’s notes beforehand). All the jobs in Southpark didn’t pay as well as the jobs in Fairplay. Although, only one place didn’t require any previous experience. Plus, he _really_ did **not** want anyone to see him at his hopefully future place of employment. 

It took some hard convincing, but Kyle's mom eventually agreed to drive him to the mall in Fairplay. He felt guilty about lying to her about his intentions, saying he needed to buy school supplies, but she would never let him go if she knew the real reason. His parents were so hellbent on him getting good grades that they saw anything that took away from that as negative. They would surely flip if they knew he was trying to get a job. And they would REALLY flip if they knew exactly what it was. Kyle swore he wouldn't tell anybody the truth. Going as far as to get a job in another town to avoid anyone he knew, he could just imagine the bullying and comments he would get...if they knew. 

Kyle walked into the café, wearing his best button-down shirt and ironed pants. He looked good actually, even if he felt his whole face go red from shame as soon as he walked through the door. ‘Kill me, just kill me’ He thought as he looked around and saw bouncy, cute girls in frilly maid outfits and cat-ears tending to the male-majority of patrons. 

An older woman’s voice rang out, “Oh, you must be Kyle, right? You’re here for the job interview for the open maid position at ‘Neko-Neko Atsume Café? Follow me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by the BEST kyman fic I have ever read by a really old creator. I forgot the name but it was the one where kyle was a maid and cartman was his patron and basically, it was really old-school maid cafe type shit but it was....so cute and tense. it was NEVER FINISHED and they deleted it but omg, bro, that shit had me on the edge of my seat, fingers gripping HARD, sweat drippin'....it was a good fic. so this is my homepage to that creator and my own attempt to scratch an itch I've had for years.


	2. Awkward Encounters

Kyle sat nervously at the table across from the manager, who had introduced herself as Heather. 

“A pretty impressive resume for a highschooler, Kyle. You should be proud! Captain of the chess club, debate club, organizer of the Jewish Heritage Celebration, and a 4.0!” 

Kyle blushed at her compliments and shifted nervously. “Thank you, I try my best.” He softly let out, feeling sweat gather on the palms of his hands. To be frank, he didn't know what a maid café was looking for in a resume, so he put down everything he could that sounded impressive. Supposedly, it was working. 

“Now, since you are in school, you would only get a part-time position. Is that okay? And can you work weekends and holidays?”

“Yes, that sounds fantastic, thank you. I can work whenever you need me, I'm good at time management.” He smiled at her and tried his best to sound confident. Already, his mind was churning out excuses for his parents as to why he would be gone 4-5 hours every day. 

Heather gave him a warm smile, “That's great to hear!” She seemed pleased by Kyle’s response as she scribbled something on his resume she had printed out and brought with her. She started looking it over and humming to herself before asking, “What makes you think you would make a good candidate to be a maid here at Neko-Neko Atsume Café?” 

The nerves in his whole body felt like they turned to ice as his brain scrambled to come up with a response. “Uh, I’m good on my feet, I’ve been told I’m cute and fit the ‘tsundere’ role - but I can still be sweet too.” He paused before continuing, “I love working hard, busy environments, and I can keep a professional tone but still be a ‘maid’. And, um… people like redheads?” He smiled awkwardly at the end and gave a light shrug. 

Heather chuckled and nodded her head, “Very good points, especially the last one. That is true!” She gave him a serious look after she wrote down a few more notes, “What kind of feline would you want to theme yourself after? All the maids here pick a unique big or small cat to personify. Gives everyone creative freedom while keeping true to the Neko theme.” 

Kyle pursed his lips, looking down at his clasped hands resting on the table. What kind of cat, huh? He honestly never had a pet cat so he didn't know that much about them. It felt like the gears of his mind were filled with cobwebs as he tried to think of something. Suddenly, he remembered this cute YouTube video he saw that had a feline-like animal, “Can I be a fox? I know that's not technically a cat, but it would match my red hair and it's cat-like.” 

The answer left Heather looking deep in thought, a loud ‘hmmm’ escaped her. “Yeah…. yeah, that could work! That'd be really neat. I can certainly work on getting some fox ears and a tail for you. I think you'll make a great addition to the team.” She made some final notes on the resume before giving Kyle a big smile. “I'll contact you via the email you left on here later. And if you're interested in accepting the position, come back tomorrow to start your training and get your outfit. I custom make the ears and tail, but it doesn't take long so I should have them ready by then. I'm really looking forward to working with you, Kyle!”

She got up and extended her hand to him, which he took and gave a firm shake. “Thank you! It really means a lot to hear and I'm just as excited.” He felt through the roof at the positive reception and all the nerves he had before melted away. He followed her out the door and into the main lobby and gave her a final 'thank you!’ before exiting. 

Kyle walked from the café to the Petco down the street where he said he would be when his mom came to pick him up. He had half an hour to kill before the time he said he wanted to drive back home, so he entered the building. 

Instantly, the smell of dog food, fish, and hamster bedding hit Kyle like a brick. ‘Holy shit, it reeks in pet stores’ he thought to himself as he started down the fish aisle, looking at all the underwater decorations. 

Afterwards, he meandered his way down the center aisle towards the animals they had up for adoption. But, something unexpected stopped him dead in his tracks and he dashed behind the nearest shelf to hide. Peeking around the corner, Kyle narrowed his forest green eyes at what, or rather who, lay in front of him. Eric. Fucking. Cartman. The king of fatassery himself. 

‘What the hell is that shithead doing…’ Kyle wondered as he could just see Cartman from behind. 

Right as the thought formed in Kyle’s head, Cartman turned around and revealed a tiny kitten being cradled in the nook of his elbow. It looked so small snuggled in his’ beefy arms. Kyle suddenly realized Cartman had grown quite a bit. No more was he a short pudgy kid, but he was tall. Wrestling all highschool, Cartman had built his arms and chest pretty solidly. Don't get it wrong, he was still fucking fat, but he was strong too. 

Kyle scowled and turned back around, hidden behind the shelf. He was sick of watching Cartman treat that tiny kitten like a baby, it just made his skin crawl since he knew it couldn't be true. Cartman can't be nice. He's bullied Kyle for years now. Why show an animal more decency than another human being?? He must just be acting nice for whatever sick plans that bastard is cooking up now. 

Kyle shook his head to clear his mind and worked his way out of the store, careful not to let Cartman see him. His mom texted him a few minutes later to tell him she had parked and was waiting for him. He made his way over to her and the ride home was pretty quiet. The image of Cartman with that kitten was still burning in Kyle’s mind, and he only managed to frown and sink into his seat. ‘Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him. I won't let him ruin my achievement with my new job, and he probably just went to FairPlay because he isn't banned from that store like he is in Southpark.’ The self-reassurance didn't work, and Kyle felt sour all the way back home.

\------

The next morning, Kyle shuffled up to the bus stop. Kenny and Cartman were there already, talking about God knows what.

“Sup, guys.”

“Oh hey Kahl, you’re looking extra Jew-y today.” Cartman casually said, tossing him a side glance as Kyle stood beside him.

Normally, the Jew comment would have earned Cartman an insult; but after yesterday's encounter, Kyle felt it was easier to simply ignore Cartman's existence for the time being. 

“Where’s Stan?” Kyle asked. The lack of the familiar presence instantly became apparent to him. Normally Stan was already here by the time he showed up.

Kenny shrugged, “I dunno, maybe he’s sick or somethin’? Or he drove to school?”

Kyle pouted and stared at his shoes, not used to feeling like the odd one out. Thankfully, it didn’t last long since the bus shortly came to pick them up. Kyle sat alone towards the back and stared out the window all the way to school, feeling weirdly blue. After the excitement and achievement of yesterday, not having Stan to share the victory with felt disheartening.

\------

After lugging through the eight-hour school day, Kyle was relieved to finally be free as he sat alone again on the schoolbus. It spit Kyle out at the bus stop and he walked the rest of the way, past his house, right to Stan’s doorstep.

 _RIIIING RIIIING!_

Kyle aggressively jabbed the doorbell until Randy Marsh opened up and stared at him in disbelief. “Damn Kyle, you only need to ring it once… Stan’s upstairs in his room, he didn’t come out all day. You can try and talk to him but...he refused to talk to me or Sharon, so good luck.” Randy gave a shrug and moved aside as Kyle rushed in. 

“I’ll try my best - thank you, Mr. Marsh!” Kyle gave him a short nod before beelining it to Stan’s room. The door was shut and he could hear muffled sounds from inside.

Tenderly knocking, Kyle softly called out, “Stan…? I’m worried dude, you didn’t show up to school or answer my texts. Are you alright?” He could hear some sort of rustling and then the slow plod of footsteps towards him. 

“K-Kyle?” Stan slowly creaked the door open and looked up at Kyle. His eyes were bloodshot and a little snot was dripping from his nose. His whole face was red and puffy from crying, and his hair looked like a rat’s nest. Overall, Stan had certainly seen better days. 

“Oh my god dude, are you okay?!” Kyle pushed his way into Stan’s room and what he saw shocked him. There were clothes on the floor, dirty plates on the desk, and what looked like a weird nest of blankets on the bed. He turned around to face Stan with his eyes wide, “What the fuck happened?” 

“Wendy dumped me...” Stan paused to stop the tears, “...FOR A GIRL!” As he finished saying it, he started sobbing all over again. 

“Wait, what? Stan! Come on, it’ll be okay. If she realized she’s a lesbian or something then that doesn’t have anything to do with you. I mean, you didn’t turn her gay or anything…I think.” Kyle awkwardly patted the raven-haired boy’s back as he shook from the sobs coming from him. 

Stan looked at Kyle with such a hurt expression that it washed over him too, “But h-how do I know that for sure? Girlfriends don’t turn gay for no reason!” He shook his head and sat down on his bed, “I give up. Maybe I’m meant to be alone and fucking miserable, dude.” 

Kyle sat down next to him and put his arm around his shoulders, “You know that’s not true. You’re my super best friend and we will get through this, together, okay?” Kyle gave Stan his best smile and playfully punched his arm, “Now let’s get you cleaned up and play some Xbox or something. I have an hour before I have to get home and umm...do homework.” 

Stan sadly smiled back at him and nodded, “Okay, okay...yeah, maybe you’re right. Thanks for coming over, dude. I don’t think I would be able to think straight without you.” Stan gave one last sniffle and shyly glanced at Kyle, “Can we play Minecraft?”

Kyle laughed and responded, “Of course, dude.” 

An hour went by fast as the two best friends built dirt houses, set pigs on fire, and had general shenanigans. Kyle finally said bye to Stan as he headed out the door and waved to Randy. He was happy that he got to see Stan that day and relieved he wasn’t sick or anything too serious. Now, he had to get ready for his first day on the job.

\------

Against all odds, Kyle arrived at Neko-Neko Atsume Café in time. His mother had given him an incredibly hard time about driving again to Fairplay, but Kyle’s silver tongue convinced her. Now, he was standing outside the door with anxiety flooding his system like a wildfire. He had absolutely no idea what to expect from his coworkers, his manager, or even the patrons.

‘Well. I guess here goes nothing…’ He bitterly thought as he finally pushed his way into the café. 

Immediately, the sounds of giggling, the smell of freshly baked treats, and the sweet scent of roses and lavender hit him. Kyle made his way past the host stand and into the kitchen where Heather had mentioned to see her in the email she sent. Cooks bustled past him to attend to ovens, and fancy delicate desserts were being plated with impressive accuracy. ‘Damn, this is like some Gordan Ramsey type sh-’

Snapped out of his thoughts, Heather excitedly called out to him. “Kyle! Come over here, this is where the office is. I’ve got your uniform and costume all ready to try on.” She waved him over to a small room that connected to the kitchen. Security cameras and computer screens lined the walls, with paperwork spewed all over the desk. 

She reached under and brought out a black and white maid outfit in one hand and a red silk sash in the other. “Here! Try these on first! Knock once you’ve changed.” Heather slipped out of the office and then closed the door to give him privacy.

“Alright…” Kyle quickly put the outfit on and tied the sash around his waist. ‘I don’t think that's right but whatever.’ He knocked on the door to signal that Heather could come back in.

She opened the door almost immediately, a smile gracing her face. “AWWW! You look…” She held her hands in front of her mouth and simply beamed at him, “...so adorable!” And she was right. Somehow, Kyle in a skirt looked really, really damn cute.

He blushed and ducked his head. “I don’t think I put the sash on correctly…” 

“I’ll fix it for you! Normally, we tie it in a bow in the back. You’ll get used to it as you do it.” Heather explained to him while she fixed it up. “And now, for the final pieces...the fox ears and tail! They were so fun to make, I hope you like them as much as I do!” She brought out some fuzzy black and russet fox ears and a matching fluffy tail with a white tip. She handed the ears over to Kyle and went behind him with the tail. “To attach the tail, we just clip it onto your maid uniform and hide the attachment under the sash…” She trailed off as she focused on not making the bow loose as she hid the connector for the tail under the sash. “Ta-da! How does it feel?” 

Kyle put the ears on and wiggled a little bit, feeling the weight of the tail swish from side to side. “Pretty okay. I’ll get used to the feeling. Thank you so much, these look awesome!” He checked himself out in the mirror hanging on the back of the door. He looked so...girly, but in a masculine way. Kyle had never seen himself look so...cute? 

“Oh! I almost forgot - the final ingredient!” Heather smiled and brought out a black choker with a little bell on the front. She put it on him and then took a step back, “Yep, yep. I knew you’d look amazing in the costume. Like a real fiery tsundere!” 

Kyle rolled his eyes and let out a huff. “Okay, okay. So, what do I do now once I’m in costume?” 

“Well, I do have to mention that you'll take home the maid outfit so you can wash it, and the tail and ears will stay here. Now, follow me! I’ll show you the changing room and introduce you to your mentor for today.” 

Heather led Kyle around the kitchen, showing him where the cleaning supply closest was, the changing room to the right of the office, the employee’s break room, and finally led him up to the host stand where…holy shit- 

Kyle turned as red as a tomato as Wendy Testaburger looked up in pure shock at him. 

“Annnnd this is Wendy! She will be your mentor and show you the ropes! All you’ll do today is host and follow her around! Have funnnn~!” Heather cheerfully said as she walked back into the kitchen, leaving the two staring at each other with wide eyes.

Wendy was the first to recover and cleared her throat, “Well...this is awkward.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this chapter! Ao3 is a little confusing to use so sorry I had to delete it at first :'o


End file.
